Chapter Summaries

Artoria’s campaign against Vortigern’s forces won eleven battles but left most of the Round Table’s strongest fighters injured. As the army approached Londinium, Artoria and Sovell still faced unanswered questions about the white dragon’s purpose and the being behind the dragons’ creation.

• Artoria committed a half-million troops to a campaign intended to drive the foreign peoples from Britain before a final battle at Londinium.
• The Knights of the Round Table won eleven battles but suffered heavy losses, with Gaheris, Palamedes, and Percival gravely wounded and Bedivere and Tristan less seriously injured.
• Merlin revealed that the white dragon sought to carry out Britain’s self-destruction, explained the red dragon’s bond with Artoria, and announced his retirement to Avalon.
• Merlin left a retirement application, and Caerleon announced that Sovell had taken over as chief Court Mage.
• Artoria and Sovell considered four unresolved questions about the white dragon and the dragons’ origin, but their army’s approach to Londinium left them no time to investigate.

As Artoria prepared for the final battle to end Britain’s turmoil, she asked her soldiers what had brought them to the battlefield. Sovell reaffirmed that he fought to protect the rare goodness he had seen among the people, and the chapter left the army poised for battle.

• The chapter recounted how Londinium became the Pendragon royal city and described its gates and defenses.
• Artoria addressed her army before the final battle, recalling their victories and declaring that the fight could end Britain’s turmoil.
• Artoria asked the soldiers what had brought them to the battlefield and kept them fighting.
• Sovell reflected on the greed and cruelty he had witnessed, but concluded that human goodness was worth protecting.
• Sovell chose to stake his life on the battlefield to preserve the people’s faint glimmers of goodness.

Artoria addressed the army before the decisive battle, arguing that knights and commoners shared the same fate and that protecting future generations from war was a greater purpose than survival, money, or honor. Her speech left soldiers and knights united in resolve to fight for the loved ones who remained at home.

• Artoria told the soldiers that knights and commoners were both human and cited the war’s death tolls to show that knights were not safe from death or capture.
• She honored those who fought so their descendants and countrymen would never have to suffer war, calling their courage more worthy of praise than conquest.
• A veteran infantryman and an archer remembered their families, while a young knight reconsidered his belief in dying for honor after recalling his brother’s death.
• Gawain understood that Artoria meant to root honor in saving lives, and Sovell watched the soldiers’ anger and confusion give way to resolve.
• The army stood ready to fight not just for survival or honor, but to protect their loved ones and spare future generations from battle.

Artoria’s forces launched their siege of Londinium after Sovell destroyed the city’s magical barrier, then pressed the northern gates while Sovell rode with the light cavalry. Sovell recognized the commander at Aldersgate, and the man identified him as Prince Sovell.

• Artoria divided her depleted army among four camps to feint at Londinium’s gates while she and Gawain led the northern assault; Sovell commanded the light cavalry with Kelpie.
• Sovell’s bead shattered the city’s magical barrier, and the four camps began their attacks as mages worked to restore it.
• Sovell mounted Kelpie and led the light cavalry out, remembering his father’s explanation of his name and resolving to protect Britain and its people.
• Sovell used a wind-enhanced arrow to strike defenders on the northern wall, giving Artoria’s infantry time to bring battering rams to the gates.
• Sovell rode past Cripplegate toward Aldersgate and called for the cavalry to scatter when he recognized the commander above the gate.
• The commander saw Sovell and murmured, “Prince Sovell?”

Brian recognized Sovell as the prince who had fled nineteen years earlier and began questioning his loyalty to the king, while Sovell continued attacking Londinium’s defenses. When Brian’s actions helped the northern wall fall and Aldersgate remained open, Sovell joined Artoria and Gawain to lead the army into the city.

• Brian recognized Sovell and remembered the prince’s words before he jumped from the cliff nineteen years earlier, prompting Brian to question the king’s rule.
• Brian urged Alvin to reconsider his beliefs and ordered him to think for five minutes before Brian descended from the gate tower.
• Sovell crossed the River Thames, shattered Londinium’s barrier, and wondered why the White Dragon had placed Brian in command of the northern wall.
• Sovell saw the signal that the northern wall had fallen, guessed that Brian had changed, and sped toward the northern camp.
• Gawain told Artoria and Sovell that Aldersgate had been opened by the enemy and left undefended.
• Artoria trusted Sovell’s judgment and ordered the army to enter the city.

Sovell ordered Bedivere and Tristan to evacuate Londinium after the White Dragon overwhelmed the defenders inside the Royal Palace. Even after Sovell destroyed the palace to expose Gawain to sunlight, the White Dragon remained unharmed, and Sovell was left paralyzed by fear as Rhongomyniad fell from his hand.

• Sovell emerged from the palace wounded and ordered Bedivere and Tristan to evacuate the soldiers, prisoners, and civilians within ten minutes.
• Sovell, Artoria, and Gawain fought the White Dragon, who easily threw Sovell into Artoria and dominated their attacks.
• Sovell realized Gawain's blessing could not take effect beneath the palace roof and unleashed a powerful storm that destroyed the Royal Palace.
• The White Dragon stood unharmed, struck Artoria into the rubble, and kicked Gawain away after blocking his Holy Sword with dragon scales.
• Sovell froze in terror as the White Dragon turned toward him, and Rhongomyniad slipped from his hand with its light fading.

Sovell and Artoria’s attempt to kill the white dragon failed, and Sovell revealed that he had mastered his full dragonification. The white dragon also transformed into his colossal true form, terrifying everyone across Britain.

• The white dragon choked Sovell, but Sovell used his Mystic Eyes of Submergence to confuse him long enough for Artoria to pierce his chest with Excalibur.
• Sovell sensed an attack from above and pulled Artoria away from the white dragon’s lightning strike.
• The white dragon survived, mocked Sovell, and both of them released their dragon forms.
• Sovell emerged with dragon scales, horns, a tail, and wings, showing he could now control his complete dragonification.
• Bedivere, Tristan, Agravain, soldiers, and civilians witnessed the white dragon reveal his enormous true form above the Royal City.

The White Dragon attacked the crowd outside the Royal City, forcing Sovell and the knights to defend them while Artoria struck at the dragon. The White Dragon repelled their attacks, and Sovell realized its overwhelming presence intimidated the wind elements themselves.

• The White Dragon gathered black clouds, transformed weapons and rubble into magma, and fired a pitch-black beam at the crowd.
• Sovell passed Rhongomyniad to Artoria and raced to intercept the beam as Bedivere, Tristan, and Agravain attacked it.
• Sovell used tornadoes and a Dragon Roar to slow the beam while the Round Table knights evacuated the civilians.
• Gawain launched Artoria into the air, and she fired Excalibur at the White Dragon.
• The White Dragon cut off its attack on the crowd and swatted Artoria's strike aside, then dispersed Sovell's tornadoes and damaged only a few scales with his Dragon Roar.
• Sovell concluded that the wind elements feared the White Dragon's overwhelming presence and refused to attack it.

Sovell, Artoria, and Gawain combined their Holy Swords against the white dragon, but its Black Flame and storm shattered their attack. Gawain was blasted away after exhausting himself, and Sovell discovered that he had thrown Carnwennan back toward the battlefield.

• Sovell gave Artoria and Gawain flight spells and warned Gawain to stop using Solar Flare if the white dragon showed no burns.
• Sovell realized the white dragon was not immune to fire after seeing its fingertips char from Gawain's Solar Flare.
• Sovell scattered the clouds so Gawain's Blessing would remain active, and the three launched amplified Holy Sword attacks at the white dragon.
• The white dragon countered with Black Flame, wind, and lightning, causing a massive explosion that Bedivere, Tristan, and Agravain shielded Londinium from.
• Artoria and Sovell braced themselves against the blast, while Gawain was blown toward Kelpie and lost consciousness.
• Kelpie told Sovell that Gawain had thrown something before collapsing, and Sovell saw Carnwennan embedded in a boulder.

Artoria asked Sovell to survive the battle and become her prince consort before they resumed fighting the White Dragon, revealed as Vortigern. Outside the palace, Gawain recovered after Kelpie brought him to the knights, and he saw Sovell wielding Carnwennan against the dragon.

• During a lull in the battle, Artoria demanded that Sovell survive and become her prince consort, and he agreed to her teasing challenge.
• The White Dragon attacked with black dragonfire, but Artoria and Sovell blocked it and prepared to fight again.
• Sovell channeled the power of Shemesh into Carnwennan and challenged the White Dragon to resume their battle.
• Agravain spotted Kelpie carrying Gawain through the moat, and he gave Gawain magical medicine to restore his strength.
• Gawain told Agravain, Bedivere, and Tristan that the White Dragon was Vortigern and explained why he had thrown Carnwennan to Sovell.
• Gawain saw Sovell wielding Carnwennan and smiled as its flames continued to burn.

Sovell and Artoria defeated the White Dragon, only to discover that its human form was Sovell’s father, Vortigern, who was dying from their victory. As Vortigern spent his final moments with them, he explained that Britain’s age of gods and mystery had ended and could not coexist with humanity.

• Sovell and Artoria pinned the White Dragon’s foreclaws and Sovell pierced its heart with Holy Lance Rhongomyniad.
• The White Dragon’s body crumbled into ash, revealing the mortally wounded Vortigern, who recognized Sovell as his son and saw through Artoria’s disguise.
• Vortigern explained that he and the White Dragon had become one after he drank its blood, so the dragon’s death meant his own death as well.
• Sovell pleaded to find Merlin, but Vortigern slapped him and urged him to spend his remaining time talking with his father.
• Vortigern asked Artoria about Britain and explained that the Age of Gods had ended, leaving an age of humanity that could not coexist with their power.

Vortigern’s final act passed the White Dragon’s heart into Sovell, transforming him and leaving him pleading with Artoria to kill him. Sovell released Rhongomyniad’s final seal and pierced his own heart as Artoria tried to stop him.

• Vortigern asked Sovell to care for those who had lost family to the foreign races, then the White Dragon took control of his body again.
• The White Dragon tore out its own heart and pressed it into Sovell, then gave Artoria a crimson crystal before scattering into starlight.
• Sovell transformed, pleaded with Artoria to kill him, and threw her aside when she tried to help.
• Sovell summoned Rhongomyniad and released its final seal, then stabbed himself through the heart as Artoria ran toward him.

After Sovell died, he awoke in a scorching cavern and met a powerful white-haired woman who began telling him about the planet’s earliest beings and the first dragon. Sovell suspected she was the primordial dragon herself as her story began.

• Sovell awoke in darkness after his death, and strange flames appeared to illuminate a vast underground cavern.
• A white-haired woman spoke to Sovell, and her Dragon Roar destroyed his barrier and revealed that she was far stronger than he was.
• Sovell calmed down, asked where he was, and listened as the woman covered herself with a cloak woven from flames.
• The woman described the planet’s four elements, a force associated with Gaia that gained power over earth and water, and the first dragon who ruled wind and fire.
• Sovell recognized parallels between the woman’s account and Babylonian stories about Ea, also known as Enki, and suspected that she was the primordial dragon.

Albion told Sovell the history of the planet, the rise of humanity, and her own connection to the Primordial One. She revealed that she was the last pureblood dragon on the surface and explained how her attempt to dig into the Inner Sea of the Planet ended in her death.

• Sovell identified the Primordial One as the oldest pureblood dragon, and Albion continued recounting the planet’s history and humanity’s rise to primacy.
• Albion said she had retreated to the island as the Age of Gods declined, and Sovell asked how she was connected to the Primordial One.
• Albion introduced herself as Albion, learned Sovell’s name, and insisted he call her “big sister.”
• Albion explained that the gates to the Inner Sea of the Planet had closed, leaving her as the last pureblood dragon on the surface.
• Albion said she tried to dig through the planet to reach the Inner Sea, but died before discovering that phantasmal species could still pass through the gates as souls.

Albion explained how her body and dragon factor gave rise to the white and red dragons, and why the white dragon could use thunder and Dragon Flame. She then assigned Sovell the task of carrying something of hers and continuing to live, leaving him with little choice but to accept.

• Sovell realized that the hollow around them might be the Endpoint, where Albion's body remained in the planet's crust.
• Albion explained that her wind and fire became the white and red dragons, and that she shifted the dragons' malice and goodness to protect humanity.
• Sovell asked why the white dragon could use thunder and Dragon Flame, and Albion said it had gained thunder from the red dragon's crimson fire crystal and could use Dragon Flame because the two dragons shared an origin.
• Albion ordered Sovell to call her big sister and tasked him with taking something of hers and continuing to live.

“Albion” transformed Sovell’s heart into a dragon’s heart and gave him her “eyes,” leaving him unconscious as petals gathered around him. Merlin reassured Artoria that Sovell would recover, and when he awoke, she seized her last chance to be with him.

• “Albion” explained that the Red Dragon’s factor had repaired Sovell’s heart and would have transformed Artoria if she had used it herself.
• “Albion” poured magic into Sovell, remaking his heart and granting him her “eyes” as dragon scales spread across his body.
• After Sovell passed out, “Albion” let the petals envelop him and wondered whether he would remember her.
• Merlin told Artoria that Sovell would recover, then left, calling it his last intervention as a teacher.
• Sovell awoke, and Artoria embraced him and acted on her feelings before they later lay together in the garden.

Sovell remembered Merlin’s sacrifice as the chapter recounted Artoria’s coronation and his elevation to prince and ruler of Connova County. In July, a Roman envoy arrived, and Artoria summoned Sovell to Caerleon, prompting him to rush away and leave Barghest in charge.

• Sovell woke beside Artoria and recalled that Merlin had exhausted her magic and faded away in the Great Hollow.
• After Londinium’s reconstruction, Artoria was crowned King of Knights on May Day and renamed the capital Camelot.
• Artoria granted the Knights of the Round Table noble titles and revenue allotments while keeping military authority under the crown.
• Artoria made Sovell the prince titled White Dragon, placed him beside her in rank, and granted him Connova County as a fief.
• In July, Sovell received Artoria’s summons about an envoy from Rome and flew to Caerleon, telling Barghest to handle the administration.

Sovell and Artoria received Roman envoys who demanded Britain submit to Sword Emperor Lucius after Rome destroyed Brittany and killed Ban and Bors. Sovell forced the envoys to kneel and kowtow, then ordered them to tell Lucius that Britain's army would march on Rome.

• Sovell arrived at Camelot's royal court and asked Artoria whether the Roman envoys had come.
• The lead envoy announced that Lucius had conquered Brittany and killed Ban and Bors, then demanded that Britain submit and pay tribute.
• Kay erupted in anger, while Artoria warned the envoy against threatening her kingdom.
• Sovell used his dragon might to force the Roman delegation to their knees and ordered them to kowtow before Artoria.
• Sovell told the envoys to return to Lucius with a warning that Britain's army would march on Rome.

After rejecting Rome’s demands, Artoria rallied Britain for war and led a campaign that defeated Lucius and brought her army to Rome. Two years later, as Sovell discussed reforging Florent for Barghest, a new foreign force appeared on Britain’s eastern coast.

• Sovell helped Artoria rebuff the Roman delegation, and Artoria rallied Britain to defend its homeland.
• Arthur and Sovell led an expedition against Rome, defeated Lucius at the Battle of Mount Migo, and reached Rome without storming the city.
• Artoria rejected Rome’s requests for Florent and the title of Emperor of the Romans, while Sovell proposed reforging the sword for Barghest.
• Sovell reflected on helping Barghest gain a human form and on his plan to make her a second Florent from the sword’s fragments.
• A herald reported foreign soldiers and ships on the coast east of the Royal City, and Artoria prepared to confront them.

Lancelot reunited with Sovell and joined Artoria’s cause after recounting how Nimue trained him and how his family died following Benwick and Gaul’s fall. At Camelot’s anniversary tournament, Gawain defeated Lancelot in their deciding match, and Gawain, Lancelot, and Tristan were named the Three Lions of Britain.

• Artoria brought Lancelot to Camelot, where Sovell recognized his former student and welcomed him.
• Lancelot told Sovell and Artoria that Nimue had trained him, then rescued him and Bors after Benwick and Gaul fell; his father and uncle had died grieving for them.
• Sovell invited Lancelot to serve Artoria, and Lancelot accepted; he and Bors later took seats at the Round Table.
• Artoria held a tournament to mark Camelot’s first anniversary, where Tristan excelled in archery and Percival and Palamedes competed in a spear duel.
• Lancelot and Gawain fought three rounds, with Gawain disarming Lancelot in the final round using Carnwennan’s Corona.
• Spectators named Gawain, Lancelot, and Tristan the Three Lions of Britain.